As insurers navigate shifting risks, talent pressures and changing expectations, mentorship is increasingly being seen as a practical tool for developing future leaders and strengthening teams across the industry.
That perspective comes from Susan Williams‑Bonet (pictured), VP, commercial lines, product & pricing at Wawanesa Insurance, who will join fellow leaders on the “Beyond the headlines: Real‑world insights on risk and strategy” panel at the Women in Insurance Summit. The session will bring together senior voices from across the sector to discuss how they are responding to a rapidly evolving risk and business landscape.
For Williams‑Bonet, mentorship stands out as a key – if often understated – lever for building resilience and supporting more inclusive leadership pathways.
Asked how she defines mentorship in today’s insurance industry, Williams‑Bonet is quick to move beyond the traditional view of coaching and skills transfer. Technical guidance and career advice still matter, she says, but they are only one part of the equation.
“Mentorship today goes well beyond teaching technical skills or giving career advice,” she explains. “The most meaningful mentorship also helps people understand the inner workings of the industry – how decisions are made, how to find their voice, and how to navigate complexity with confidence, empathy, and values.”
Increasingly, she believes, effective mentorship is inseparable from visibility and sponsorship. “Helping someone put themselves on the map, opening doors they may not even know exist yet, and being willing to advocate for them when opportunities arise” is central to the role, she says. At its best, mentorship is both developmental and deeply human – grounded in trust, challenge and support as people grow not just as professionals, but as leaders.
That broader definition becomes especially important when you look at women’s progression in insurance.
“Women continue to be underrepresented in senior and decision-making roles across the industry,” Williams‑Bonet notes. “That gap isn’t about capability – it’s often about access, confidence, networks, and sponsorship.”
Mentorship, she argues, can be pivotal at key inflection points in a woman’s career: when to raise your hand, when to take a risk, and how to navigate self‑doubt in environments that “haven’t always been designed for you.” In her own journey, both formal and informal mentors played a meaningful role, particularly during transitions. Leaders who challenged her, advocated for her and helped her see what was possible “made a real difference,” she says.
That experience also underpins her involvement with communities such as ISC Group and the Altura Collective, which deliberately focus on mentorship, advocacy and leadership visibility for women. These networks, Williams‑Bonet says, help ensure “the next generation doesn’t have to navigate those challenges alone.”
Williams‑Bonet believes now is a critical moment to focus on mentorship. The industry is undergoing rapid change – driven by technology, emerging risks, new business models and evolving ways of working – just as many experienced leaders are approaching retirement.
“The industry is at a true inflection point,” she says. “If we don’t intentionally invest in developing and supporting emerging leaders now, we risk losing momentum, diversity of thought, and institutional knowledge.”
At the same time, expectations from talent have shifted. People are no longer looking only for stability; they want purpose, flexibility and a sense of belonging. “People are looking for purpose, flexibility, and belonging, not just a job,” she points out. In that context, mentorship becomes a key mechanism for helping individuals see a long‑term future in the industry: understanding how their work connects to a bigger mission, and how they can shape their own path rather than simply inherit someone else’s.
Her work with ISC Group is one way Williams‑Bonet puts those beliefs into practice. “I was motivated by a desire to help create pathways for women in insurance to lead,” she says of becoming an ISC Group Ambassador. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen the impact that mentorship, advocacy, and visibility can have on someone’s confidence and opportunities.”
Being part of a global network like ISC Group also brings personal and professional meaning. “It’s a source of inspiration and learning, where experiences and ideas are exchanged across borders,” she says. “It reminds me that change is possible when we work collectively, and it gives me the chance to contribute back to the industry within a global network.”
Advocating for women in insurance is not just a fairness issue, in her view; it is a business imperative. “Diversity in leadership drives better decision‑making, innovation, and business results,” she stresses. That is why she believes organizations must move beyond aspiration and set clear goals for gender representation, build sponsorship and leadership development programs, and ensure flexible work policies genuinely support progression. Above all, leaders themselves need to actively champion inclusion and address the systemic barriers that prevent women from advancing.
Asked what she most wants the Women in Insurance Summit audience to take away, Williams‑Bonet comes back to a deceptively simple idea. “Mentorship isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about being willing to invest in others,” she says.
“When we mentor, sponsor, and create space for diverse voices, we strengthen not only individual careers but the industry as a whole,” she adds. “Real progress happens when mentorship becomes intentional and inclusive.”
Crucially, Williams‑Bonet emphasizes that everyone has a role to play. That might mean mentoring someone earlier in their career, advocating for emerging talent when promotions or stretch assignments are on the table, or creating environments where people feel seen, supported and constructively challenged. “Everyone can play a role,” she says. “That collective effort is what drives lasting change.”
